ARPA-E Launches ROCKS and MAGNITO Programs to Bolster Domestic Critical Mineral Supply Chains

The U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E has announced $72 million in funding for the ROCKS and MAGNITO programs to accelerate domestic mineral exploration and develop advanced magnet technologies. These initiatives aim to reduce America's reliance on foreign imports for critical minerals like rare earths, copper, gallium, and tellurium, which are essential for energy and defense applications. By supporting high-risk, high-reward research, the agency seeks to modernize the mining and industrial base while countering China's dominance in global processing and magnet supply chains.

The Reliable Ore Characterization with Keystone Sensing (ROCKS) program is designed to transform the mineral exploration sector by developing advanced drilling, sensing, and analytical technologies. The primary objective is to enable rapid, cost-effective assessments of critical mineral deposits, potentially reducing the time required to evaluate a site's feasibility from several years to just a few months. Among the first recipients, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was awarded a $3.1 million grant to integrate radio-frequency imaging with downhole mineralogical sensing to create precise 3D maps of rare earth element deposits.

Complementing the exploration push, the Magnetic Acceleration Generating New Innovations and Tactical Outcomes (MAGNITO) program focuses on creating the world’s most powerful magnets using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-throughput experimentation. These projects aim to discover new intermetallic boride and carbide materials that bridge the gap between alloys and ceramics, improving energy productivity and reducing the size of industrial motors. For instance, the University of Houston received $2.8 million to apply AI and high-performance computing to map uncharted chemical spaces for next-generation, high-strength magnets that minimize supply-chain vulnerabilities.

These programs are part of a broader $1 billion Department of Energy effort to revitalize the domestic mining and metals industry and safeguard national security. ARPA-E Director Conner Prochaska emphasized that rare earth elements and magnets are indispensable to American industry, while Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted that the initiative aims to reclaim an industrial base previously ceded to foreign nations. Beyond exploration and magnets, the agency is also pursuing the RECOVER program, which targets the extraction of critical minerals from unconventional sources such as oilfield brines, mine drainage, and geothermal wastewater.